I had the honour of photographing a little baby girl's "100 Day Celebration" called "Okuizome". This is to celebrate a baby's "first food" or "first eating" in Japan and to celebrate the new phase in a baby's life. It has beautiful sentiment behind the event and is a big feast for family and friends to celebrate. It has been celebrated for hundred's of years in Japan, during times when babies didn't always make it to 100 days old.
You're probably thinking that it's quite early to be introducing solids to a baby this young but relatives just pretend to feed the baby. The food prepared varies between different regions of Japan but the food that is presented to the baby usually includes a fish (with the head and tail still attached), rice, soup, and boiled vegetables. Each of these foods mean a different virtue such as the word for beans (mame) is similar to the word for loyalty/diligence and the word for red sea bream (a type of fish) is similar to a word for happiness (tai and mede-tai). A small pebble is given to the baby to bite, symbolizing strong teeth. I love the idea that eating a food could possibly portray a positive trait that your baby could have for the rest of their life!
Hmmmm, what positive trait could possibly go with chocolate - happiness, wisdom, serenity???
